


Axe to Grind

by Bunsandpups



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, Gen, OT6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 02:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4942531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunsandpups/pseuds/Bunsandpups
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The runners have dwindled down, and resources are scarce. What happens when Michael and Ryan want the same medicines for two different towns? (Zombies Run Crossover)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Axe to Grind

            Michael’s breath came in harshly. He’d been running for a solid twenty minutes, and the axes at his side were starting to tire him out. They weren’t much more than rusty, somewhat sharp blades on sticks by his side, but they would do. He always took two whenever he went running, just in case one got lost or lodged in a zombie. Or, worse, in case one broke. He remembered the first time that happened; he nearly shit himself then and there as the zombie ambled forward.

            He tried his best to suppress that memory. That _thing_ had been his friend, once. He had begged Ray to stay back, but the virus had taken hold and destroyed whatever was left of the Ray he knew. Instinct had kicked in and saved him; he remembered the gun just in time to kill Ray once and for all. Michael would be lying if he said he hadn’t cried a little when it happened, once he was safely in camp. He didn’t go out for a few days following that incident; he was too scared he might see Gavin or Geoff.

            While Ray had been a tragic accident when the gates had gotten stuck, Geoff and Gavin were a different story. They were still out there, Runners One and Three. Sometimes, when he was on guard duty, he would see the tattered numbers sewn onto their shirts and look at the broken communications equipment. Michael had thought about shooting them, about taking away their suffering, but he realized he just couldn’t do it. They’d been friends for a time after Michael arrived, and dammit, you don’t turn your back on your friends. Not unless it’s really a matter of survival.

            Michael made his mind return to the present. He was nearly done sweeping the hospital for whatever they could still scavenge. He would have to try and get to neighboring towns or villages and see what they had. Antibiotics and bandages were running low back at camp, and the last thing anyone needed was a superbug or an infection in the middle of one of the few safe places left on Earth. He checked his bag before slinging it back over his back. There was enough to last a couple weeks if they were frugal. A little more if they used pain meds to try and slow the infections by reducing inflammation and fevers, although that hardly worked.

            A shuffle to his left caught his attention. “Jack, what’s the status on the horde?” Runner Two, Jack, was one of the few runners still alive from before Michael came. He wondered, sometimes, if he was a bearer of bad luck.

            “They’re getting closer to you, but no zombies are in the hospital. Are you hearing things, Runner Five?” They tried not to use names while out on missions. While it was hard not to get attached at camp, distance during missions was key. It was all too common to lose someone in the middle of a run. Communications had to keep it together in order to function smoothly.

            “I think so. I’m silencing you for now.” Michael swiftly muted the headset and backed himself into a corner. He hid among some filing cabinets, peeking out just enough to keep an eye on the room. He knew he’d get an earful from Jack later when he turned the device back on, but it was nice to have the quiet. It was so rare that there was any quiet at all these days, between the sirens, the zombies, and the gunfire.

            “Hello?” A familiar voice called out. Michael’s heart leapt with joy. That was Runner 6, Ryan. They thought they lost him a few weeks ago when they were doing a food run to the local groceries, trying to find what little was still edible. He’d gotten lost and all they could hear was screaming. If Ryan was talking, it could only mean he had somehow survived _and_ gotten away without being bitten. _Lucky son of a bitch_ , Michael thought, grinning.

            He stood to greet Ryan with arms wide open, only to see the 9mm pistol too late. “Ryan… Rye-bread, what are you doing?”

            Ryan couldn’t resist a smirk. “I defected from our township a while ago. Didn’t you stop to think about how long it took me to come back, Runner Five?”

            “Ryan, it’s me. Michael. You don’t have to call me Runner Five.” Michael couldn’t keep back a nervous giggle. Ryan wouldn’t really shoot him, would he? He was just taking the necessary safety precautions, right?

            “No, I think I do. You see, Michael, I don’t think we’re in this together anymore. I’m not staying with you. I’m staying with New Canton, and we’re pretty desperate for supplies over there. It looks like you’ve got a fair stock of medicine.” Ryan cocked the gun, keeping his aim steady.

            “Rye-bread, you don’t have to do this. I know Runners One, Three, and Four are down, but there’s still Two, Five, and Six. You can I can run these things together. We made a hell of a team.” Michael took a step forward towards Ryan, his eyes pleading. “You don’t have to do this.”

            “I wish I could say that I’m sorry. But at least your body will get the zombies away from me, and your headset will stay tuned in to your town, so I can come back and loot your runners whenever I please.” Ryan’s grip tightened just a little, and he fired the gun. The bullet pierced Michael’s forehead, and the younger man slumped to the ground. Ryan got to work, taking the medicine bags, axes, Michael’s clothes and communicator before dumping the body out of a broken fifth story window. _That should give me enough time to head back._ With that, he was off and running towards his new home, hoping he didn’t run into someone as cruel as he on the way.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what it is about Zombies, Run that made me fall in love, but damn I like it. Fun fact: Michael is runner #5 because, according to the wiki, he was fifth to join on to AH. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
